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Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Mixon: ‘It's not about winning anyone over'

Posted at 5:57 PM, Apr 29, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-29 19:05:44-04

CINCINNATI — When Joe Mixon faced the media Saturday at Paul Brown Stadium, the questions were all about what happened in 2014 when Mixon punched a woman in the face.

He knew he’d have to answer for the incident, and that won’t be the last time.

“It’s going to be there regardless,” Mixon said. “I’m trying to do what I can to move forward. Unfortunately, it’s going to be with me the rest of my life. I’ve got to learn to deal with it. I try to do whatever I can to move forward.”

The Bengals drafted Mixon in the second round on Friday, knowing full well that the pick would not be popular.

MORE: Editorial: The Bengals drafting Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon is inexcusable

Mixon knows he can’t change that.

“It’s not about winning anyone over,” Mixon said. “I came here to work and to be the best teammate and person I can and do anything I can around the community, try to get everything together.”

Mixon was suspended for a game this season for ripping up a parking ticket and throwing it at the parking attendant.

“I made a bad choice. I ripped up a ticket,” he said. “At the end of the day, at Oklahoma, I was under contract where I had to maintain a 3.0 GPA to remain on the team. I couldn’t do anything to get in trouble . . . They held me to a higher standard. It will be the same here.”

Mixon and the woman, Amelia Molitor, reached an out-of-court settlement a little over a week ago.

“I’m glad it’s over with,” Mixon said. “She’s glad it’s over with. We both acknowledged we made a mistake. We’re looking forward to move past it.”

Mixon and Molitor spoke before the settlement.

“Around settling time, we were able to talk one-on-one,” Mixon said. “It lifted a huge weight off our shoulders because we weren’t able to talk and apologize. I was the initiator for the most part. But it really meant a lot to her for me to come in and acknowledge what happened that night. She did the same thing. I’ve got nothing but respect for her.”

Molitor issued a statement: ”I am happy we were able to bring the lawsuit to an end. Joe and I were able to meet privately, without any attorneys, and talk about our experiences since that night. I am encouraged that we will both be able to move forward from here with our lives. From our private discussions I am satisfied that we are going to put this behind us and work towards helping others who may have found themselves in similar circumstances. I greatly appreciate his apology and I think the feelings he expressed were sincere. We both could have handled things differently. I believe if we had a chance to go back to that moment in time, the situation would not have ended the way it did.”

Some teams took Mixon off their draft board.

“It wasn’t in my hands,” he said. “I was just praying. The call came. I was emotional. I’m still emotional. I’m blessed to be here.”